The Sydney Telegraph ran a story this morning in its print edition (couldn't find it online) with the usual whinge-fest from people who buy/rent properties in high density areas without car parking facilities, then complain because they can't find on-street parking in the vicinity, even when resident parking permits are available.

Part of the RMS response was that such permits "should not be handed out for trucks, buses, TRAMS, caravan trailers and tractors".

Isn't red tape wonderful, all possibilities have been considered.

The Sydney Classic and Antique Truck (and Bus) ShowOn again June 2019@ The Museum of Fire.

Daily Telegraph is reporting that the multi-storey car park at Rooty Hill station, currently under construction, will now be built two levels higher than originally planned. This will bring it up to 6 levels and 750 car parking spaces.

A government spokesperson is quoted as saying the additional parking is being included in response to customer feedback.

andy_centralcoast wrote:Daily Telegraph is reporting that the multi-storey car park at Rooty Hill station, currently under construction, will now be built two levels higher than originally planned. This will bring it up to 6 levels and 750 car parking spaces.

A government spokesperson is quoted as saying the additional parking is being included in response to customer feedback.

Or just pump that amount money into enhancing the feeder bus network and still have millions left over with a much better outcome for all commuters. Why are pollies so out of touch?

Fair enough. Considering the amount of time it takes to get down the mountain by train compared to car, I can see this argument.

However, would it be beneficial to start having something like a $2 entry fee using your Opal card to help offset the cost (which I believe is already done in Perth). It then discourages people from parking here that aren't commuting too, freeing up more spaces.

I know people from the Central Coast who drive down the M1 (F3) to Berowra station to park, but I really don't understand why - I tried it a few times and it wasn't any quicker, and it gets less trains than stations like Gosford.

Behold, a $500 million Commuter Car Park Fund, from which projects have already been allocated to the marginal Coalition-held seats of Dickson, Petrie, Banks and Robertson. The CCPF is, of course, part of a broader Urban Congestion Fund, announced in last year’s budget and topped up to $4 billion this month.

GazzaOak wrote:I think people don't want to use feeder buses due to frequency issues and some people work off peak.

I think you miss interpreted what I meant. Instead of spending that money on car parking to get maybe an extra 50 people to the train station, you could use that money to increase (as boronia said) the frequency and operating hours of the feeder buses to the train station. That will get you so many more people to the train station than just the 50 odd from the additional parking spaces.

Better still, turn routes that normally travel into the city into feeder services at no extra cost. Here's an example. Route 480 (Strathfield to City via Liverpool and Parramatta Rds). Instead of running it every 40 mins between Strathfield and CBD, run it between Strathfield and Ashfield Station (CBD-bound pax can change here for a faster trip to the City by train) and you can then use these resources to boost the frequency to every 20 or even 15 mins.

Cazza wrote:I think you miss interpreted what I meant. Instead of spending that money on car parking to get maybe an extra 50 people to the train station, you could use that money to increase (as boronia said) the frequency and operating hours of the feeder buses to the train station. That will get you so many more people to the train station than just the 50 odd from the additional parking spaces.

Better still, turn routes that normally travel into the city into feeder services at no extra cost. Here's an example. Route 480 (Strathfield to City via Liverpool and Parramatta Rds). Instead of running it every 40 mins between Strathfield and CBD, run it between Strathfield and Ashfield Station (CBD-bound pax can change here for a faster trip to the City by train) and you can then use these resources to boost the frequency to every 20 or even 15 mins.

Fair point then, especially in dense inner west/south areas. Certain routes which goes to city can be curtailed outside the cbd and turned into more frequent routes without any extra resources. I can see many routes being curtailed once the west metro is constructed so buses terminate at the nearest metro station to turn into more frequent route without spending extra resources.

I bet most of the NW buses that goes to city will turn into frequent shuttle to the nearest NWRL station.

moa999 wrote:And little things like dropping the kids off at school on the way to the station, picking up milk on the way home etc.

Alluch more difficult on public transport

The reality is, you can't build enough parking spaces at train stations to cater for everyone in the surrounding community. Also, it takes up valuable land in which TODs and shopping centres can be constructed on benefiting everyone, rather than the few that drive to the station. This then allows people to (as you mention) pick up those few things at the supermarket at the train station before jumping on a feeder bus home.

If our cities were properly planned, then we should have seen Chatswood-style developments right across the city (following the poly-centric city model) with schools close by. This allows people to work at either this regional centre or another one close by, catch the train or bus to the closest hub, pick up their kids or groceries here then finish their journey home as they wish. This polycentric idea is starting to come about though with Parramatta, Burwood/Strathfield, Chatswood, Macquarie etc. all becoming key employment hubs with a frequent, mass transit form close by.

Yes, parking is required. However, other options such as feeder buses and active transport (walking and cycling) need to be invested in more heavily than what they currently are.

GazzaOak wrote:I bet most of the NW buses that goes to city will turn into frequent shuttle to the nearest NWRL station.

Its hard to see the attraction, going to the CBD, of driving all the way to Rouse Hill and then deathmarching 55 minutes in a noisy crowded cattlecar to the CBD. How long does the Blue Mtns line train take ? 55 mins from Penrith, 4 stops ?

Nearly every station has shops nearby. That enables you to be able to buy milk, whether you are walking, or driving, or not.

People often ask that feeder buses be better synchronised with trains. This often seens to happen in Melbourne, where you have oddities like trains that run every 30 minutes and buses that run every 40 minutes. So, if you do synchronise them better, then everybody on the bus has to wait around while some disorganised bozo goes to get his or her milk.